Class Notes

1988

UGRD Engineering '88

Agustin, Roy-Alan

Roy Agustin '88 was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General on Nov. 2, 2014. He is currently serving as Headquarters Air Combat Command's Director of Installations and Mission Support at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

submitted Nov. 10, 2014 6:25P

1989

UGRD Leavey Business '89

Wiesner, David

David Wiesner ’89, MBA ’93 has joined Edgewood Partners Insurance Center as managing principle and regional director in its Employee Benefits Consulting Division. EPIC is a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant. Wiesner brings 25 years of experience in strategic market planning, sales organizational leadership, new product/service development and health and welfare plan consulting to the firm.

As regional director, Wiesner will focus on growing EPIC's employee benefits consulting business in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, recruiting and adding producer/consultants and specialty service teams, and fully integrating EPIC's national Employee Services Platform into local client offerings. Wiesner will be based in San Francisco and will report locally to John Connell , EPIC's President, Employee Benefits of California.

Prior to joining EPIC, Wiesner served for four years with Mercer Health & Benefits, most recently as a principal in the firm's San Francisco Health & Benefits unit. His responsibilities included managing the strategic and financial requirements of health and welfare programs for clients to help them to achieve their business objectives.

Prior to this Wiesner held senior positions at broker/consultants Gallagher Benefit Services and Keenan and Associates.

submitted Oct. 22, 2014 12:44P

UGRD Leavey Business '89

Soriano, Marcelino

Maj. Marcelino "Butch" Soriano ’89, MBA ’94, broke the record for number of hours of straight bell-ringing for the Salvation Army in Southern California, ringing the bell for 150 hours. In the end, he raised almost $10K. He set his record at 150 hours in celebration of the Salvation Army’s 150 years in existence and its 124th annual Red Kettle Campaign, during which bell-ringers seek donations outside stores throughout the holiday season.

“The reality is that I was sure that I would not be able to accomplish this quest on my own strength,” said Soriano, moments after setting his record. “I needed God’s strength.”

According to the organization’s rules, Soriano earned five minutes of rest for every continuous hour he rang his bell. He had to stand the entire time and could only eat, sit, go to the bathroom, or nap during his five-minute breaks. He was allowed to drink something, as long as it didn’t get in the way of his ringing the bell.

His first real test came at about the 51st hour, when his feet began to ache and throb. By the 84th hour, his feet were severely swollen.

“I was like, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to keep going,” Soriano said.

An hour later, the Salvation Army said “a stranger who had no idea of the pain he was in offered a bit of powerful support.”

“In the 85th hour, there was a gentleman who came behind me, he put a hand on me and prayed for me,” Soriano recalled. “A lot of the discomfort came out of me.”

The bell-ringer was struck with another surge of endurance when a woman came up to donate and he noticed on her shirt was written Bible verse “Philippians 4:13″ — “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — a phrase Soriano said has motivated him in the past.

“I was at a very low point, where it was very uncomfortable,” Soriano said. “God reminded me because that verse was on that person’s shirt.”

After Soriano broke the record, he said sleep would have to wait: “Actually, right now I’m going to change so I can go to church.”

submitted Jan. 9, 2015 2:22P

UGRD Arts & Sciences '89

Moreland, Michele

Seasoned IP executive Michele Moreland ’89, J.D. ’98 has been appointed to oversee SITO Mobile's IP strategy. The company is a leading mobile engagement platform provider. Prior to joining SITO Mobile, Michele was the director of acquisitions for RPX Corporation where she oversaw the assessment, valuation, acquisition and licensing of patents against clients. Prior to RPX Corporation Ms. Moreland worked as a Partner at McDermott Will & Emery and as an Associate at Cooley Godward LLP focused solely on patent litigation.

submitted Feb. 1, 2015 3:35P

1991

UGRD Arts & Sciences '91

Nevarez, Kristi

Kristi Nevarez ’91, J.D. ’96 has been named a Partner at Fragomen Worldwide, which is recognized as the world's leading global corporate immigration services provider. For over 17 years, she has advised clients in matters of corporate business immigration. She has also served as the Congressional Assistant and Immigration Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Immigration Subcommittee.

Contact Kristihttp://tinyurl.com/nfog7ls

submitted Dec. 3, 2014 4:14P

UGRD Arts & Sciences '91

Nevarez, Kristi

Kristi Nevarez '91, J.D. '96 is a new partner at Fragomen Worldwide, the leading provider of global immigration services and a member of both the Am Law 100 and the Am Law Global 100. Nevarez is based at the firm’s Santa Clara office. For over 17 years, she has advised clients in matters of corporate business immigration, including nonimmigrant visas, labor certifications and adjustments of status. Kristi has served as corporate immigration counsel to emerging and mid-sized clients in a wide range of industries, including technology, consumer products, civil engineering and the legal services sector.

In 2010, Kristi briefly stepped aside from her practice to serve as the Congressional Assistant and Immigration Policy Advisor to Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Immigration Subcommittee. The experience provided Kristi with first-hand insight into the policy development of complex immigration laws at the highest levels. Upon her return to Fragomen in 2012, Kristi began to manage a team serving a large, multinational high-tech corporation with worldwide immigration needs.

submitted Oct. 22, 2014 12:49P

1992

UGRD Arts & Sciences '92

Stafford, Tina

Tina Stafford ’92 has been performing with the First National tour of the Broadway Musical Once for over a year. She hopes all Broncos will have the chance to come see it.

Contact Tinawww.tinastafford.com

submitted Dec. 5, 2014 3:44A

GRD Law '92

Horne, Alexandra

Respected intellectual property attorney Alexandra J. Horne J.D. ’92 has joined Hoge Fenton, a leading Northern California law firm. Practicing together most recently at the firm of Lewis Roca Rothgerber, Brody-Brown and Horne have expertise in the areas of trademark counseling and prosecution, including portfolio analysis and strategic counseling, domestic and global registration and enforcement, domain name issues, and licensing. They will be based primarily in the firm’s Silicon Valley office.

Horne, an IP practitioner of more than 20 years, counsels clients on domestic and foreign trademark registration and licensing and enforcement, including opposition and cancellation proceedings in the USPTO. Horne’s clients, which range from startup to well-established, come from a diversity of industries, including semiconductor, software and other technology, mobility, Internet, banking, entertainment, education and wine.

submitted Feb. 1, 2015 3:41P

'92

Crowley, Paul

SCU religious studies and pastoral ministries professor Paul Crowley, S.J., STL '92 has been appointed editor of the journal Theological Studies by its board of directors.

Fr. Crowley will continue teaching at Santa Clara while he serves in this capacity.

“Fr. Crowley’s appointment as editor of this prestigious journal of theology is a great tribute to his abilities as a theologian, writer and teacher,” said Santa Clara University President Michael Engh, S.J. “At a time when theology is being shaped more and more by the lived experiences of all people, Fr. Crowley will bring to this appointment a deep awareness and professional rigor.”

Founded and sponsored by the U.S. Society of Jesus, Theological Studies is a Catholic scholarly journal that serves the Church and its mission by promoting a deeper understanding of the Christian faith through the publication of research in theological disciples. It is located at Marquette University, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Through refereed articles and reviews of noteworthy books, the journal aims to recover and to help make accessible the riches of the theological tradition, and to present significant developments in current theology. It is published quarterly in English for an international readership.

Fr. Crowley is a native of Sacramento, and received a B.A. from Stanford University, an M.A. from Columbia University, a Ph.D. from the Graduate Theological Union, and an S.T.L. (Licentiate of Sacred Theology) from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley. His research focuses on the intersection of systematic theology with modern thought.

Thomas Gemetti '94 was elected for another term on the Campbell Union School District board. Gemetti's a Brocade Communications VP and Controller. He's worked for Ernst & Young, Ariba, and SAP and is active in Junior Achievement.

1995

UGRD Leavey Business '95

Srabian, Bryan

Bryan Srabian ’95 is the Giants' director of digital media. The job itself is part creativity, part strategy—and constant vigilance. Come game day, Srabian is a five-tool player, relying on the Giants' Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat accounts to hype, entertain, and inform fans in real-time. Across the five social networks, Srabian and his colleagues—in the voice of the Giants—speak to more than 3 million followers.

As smartphones and apps increasingly permeate the fan experience and daily life in general, the Giants are considered by many in the sports industry to be among the most social media-savvy clubs in sports. And just like the players on the field, a World Series requires Srabian and colleagues to elevate their own games.

"During the season, you don't focus quite as much on every little thing," Srabian told Mashable. "But between the games, the fans, the ballpark, it seems like every minute there's something interesting happening, and we try to capture all of that."

"All of that" sometimes includes leveraging on-field access to bring exclusive behind-the-scenes content to fans. It sometimes includes showcasing AT&T Park, the Giants' gem of a home field.

And it always includes bringing Giants fans into the fold through retweets, online rallying cries and the content they generate themselves.

submitted Dec. 15, 2014 8:48A

UGRD Engineering '95

Palmer, Keith

Keith Palmer ’95 happily married Rina Knoblock on June 14, 2014 at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park, Calif. Having sadly both lost their first spouses to cancer, they met at a grief support group and share an amazing number of similarities and parallels in their lives. They both feel very fortunate for their second chance at love and that they did not have to look hard for each other. The couple is also expecting a baby boy this December. The first for both of them.

submitted Sep. 6, 2014 8:58P

GRD Leavey/MBA '95

Jacoby, Rebecca

Rebecca Jacoby MBA ’95, CIO and senior VP of Cisco, has been elected to McGraw Hill Financial's board of directors. Jacoby, 53, advances the business through the use of Cisco technology. Under her leadership as CIO since 2006, Ms. Jacoby has made the IT organization a strategic business partner, producing significant business value for Cisco in the form of financial performance, customer satisfaction and loyalty, market share, and productivity.

Prior to joining Cisco in 1995, Ms. Jacoby held a variety of planning and operations positions with other companies in Silicon Valley. She serves on the board of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara County and is a founding member of the Technology Business Management Council. She holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of the Pacific and an MBA from Santa Clara University.

submitted Oct. 30, 2014 11:00A

UGRD Leavey Business '95

Guerrero , Ignacio

Ignacio J. Guerrero ’95 was appointed director of the Santa Clara County Department of Child Support Services by the County Board of Supervisors in San Jose, Calif.

submitted Dec. 18, 2014 5:56A

UGRD Arts & Sciences '95

Gerhardt, Jarrod

Jarrod Gerhardt ’95 has been hired as senior vice president and director of marketing for Bank of Marin, which is headquartered in Novato. Gerhardt, of Walnut Creek, has 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He previously acted as West Coast marketing director for Boston Private Bank. He has also held marketing positions at Charter Private Bank and Washington Mutual in Seattle, Washington. Gerhardt holds a bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University and a master's in business administration from Boston University.

submitted Feb. 1, 2015 4:04P

GRD Leavey/MBA '95

Geffon, Eric

Eric Geffon ’95 was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown ’59 to Santa Clara County's bench. Geffon, 44, has headed his own law firm—Geffon and Isger—for the past 13 years, previously working as a Santa Clara County deputy public defender. A Los Altos resident, Geffon has a law degree from Santa Clara University.

submitted Dec. 15, 2014 9:25A

UGRD Arts & Sciences '95

Babka, Brian

Brian Babka, M.D. ’95 is a sports medicine physician with Northwestern Medicine in the western suburbs of Chicago. He completed a rotation 12/1/14 to 12/16/14 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs acting as a member of the medical staff serving the resident athletes.